The Hawaiian Romance Of Laieikawai eBook

LAIEIKAWAI: “Bah! I will not marry
him! No matter who comes I will not sleep with
him. Do not force Aiwohikupua on me again.”

When Aiwohikupua heard this fresh refusal from Laieikawai,
his counsellor said, “My lord, it is useless!
There is nothing more to be done except one thing;
better put off trying the youngest sister and, if
she is refused, my going myself, since we have heard
her vehement refusal and the sharp chiding she gave
her grandmother. And now I have only one thing
to advise; it is for me to speak and for you to decide.”

“Advise away,” said Aiwohikupua, “If
it seems good, I will consent; but if not, I will
refuse.”

“Let us go to the grandmother,” said his
counsellor, “and ask her; maybe we can get the
consent from her.”

Said Aiwohikupua, “There is nothing left to
be done; it is over; only one word more—­our
sisters, let them stay here in the jungle, for they
are worthless.”

Then Aiwohikupua said to his sisters, “You are
to stay here; my cherished hope has failed in bringing
you here; the forest is your dwelling hereafter.”
It was then pretty near dawn.

At Aiwohikupua’s words all the sisters bowed
their heads and wailed.

When Aiwohikupua and his companion started to go,
Kahalaomapuana, the youngest sister, called out, “O
you two there! Wait! Had we known in Kauai
that you were bringing us to leave us in this place,
we would never have come. It is only fair that
I, too, should have had a chance to win Laieikawai,
and had I failed then you would have a right to leave
me; we are all together, the guilty with the guiltless;
you know me well, I have gained all your wishes.”

When Aiwohikupua heard his youngest sister, he felt
himself to blame.

Aiwohikupua called to his sister, “You shall
come with me; your older sisters must stay here.”

“I will not go,” answered the youngest
sister, “unless we all go together, only then
will I go home.”

CHAPTER X

At these words of his youngest sister[43] Aiwohikupua
said, “Stay here, then, with your sisters and
go with them wherever you wish, but I am going home.”

Aiwohikupua turned to go, and as the two were still
on the way, sang the song of Mailehaiwale, as follows:

My divine brother,
My heart’s highest,
Go and look
Into the eyes of our parents, say
We abide here,
Fed upon the fruit of sin.[44]
Is constancy perhaps a sin?

Aiwohikupua turned and looked back at his younger
sisters and said, “Constancy is not a sin; haven’t
I told you that I leave you because you are worthless?
If you had gained for me my desire you would not have
to stay here; that was what you were brought here for.”
The two turned and went on and did not listen to the
sisters any longer.

When Aiwohikupua and his companion had departed, the
sisters conferred together and agreed to follow him,
thinking he could be pacified.